Training Records for Healthcare Employers in Ireland: Building a Training Matrix

A training records matrix is a single grid showing which staff member has completed which training, when, and when it is next due. For healthcare and social care employers in Ireland it is the quickest way to answer the question an inspector, a funder or your own board may ask: can you show that your people are trained for the work they do? This guide sets out what the designated centre regulations and HIQA's published guidance say about training and staff records, then offers a practical way to build the matrix. For the wider question of which training HIQA expects, see our guide to HIQA inspections and staff training.

What the regulations say about training and staff records

There is no law that tells you to use a "matrix". What the regulations do is set duties on training and on keeping records, and a matrix is a convenient way of meeting both. We read two sets of regulations made in 2013 under the Health Act 2007 on irishstatutebook.ie: S.I. 415/2013 for designated centres for older people, and S.I. 367/2013 for designated centres for children and adults with disabilities. The versions we opened are the "as made" texts, so check for later amendments before relying on a specific wording.

• Training and staff development (Regulation 16 in both). In the older people's regulations, the person in charge must ensure staff have access to appropriate training, are appropriately supervised, and are informed of the Health Act 2007 and the regulations made under it. The disability regulations add that training includes refresher training "as part of a continuous professional development programme".
• Staffing (Regulation 15 in both). The staff number and skill mix must suit the residents' needs and the size and layout of the centre. The disability regulations also require a planned and actual staff rota.
• Records (Regulation 21 in both). The provider must keep the records listed in the schedules, and keep them safe and accessible. Staff records listed in Schedule 2 must be kept for not less than 7 years after the staff member has ceased to be employed in the centre.

The schedules are where training evidence appears. Schedule 2 includes details and documentary evidence of relevant qualifications or accredited training, and current registration details for professional staff. In the older people's regulations, Schedule 4 includes a record of all persons currently and previously employed at the centre, with dates of employment, position and training, plus the duty roster and a record of whether the roster was actually worked. In the disability regulations the equivalent Schedule 4 items include a record of attendance at staff training and development. The retention periods differ by item (we read 4 years for rosters and 7 years for the staff register in the older people's regulations), so confirm the period for each record type in the instrument that applies to your service.

What HIQA's guidance says inspectors look at

HIQA's Guidance for the assessment of designated centres for older people (Version 3.1, May 2025) covers Regulation 16. According to that document, inspectors review staff training records, including attendance records, a training plan and matrix, and CPD documents. It also says infection prevention and control training is part of induction, with update training documented and monitored, and that each staff member's performance is appraised at least annually. It says a training needs analysis is completed periodically and refresher training planned from it, and that some staff not having completed refresher training is an indicator of substantial (rather than full) compliance.

The same guidance says inspectors compare planned and actual rotas under Regulation 15. That is a useful reminder that training records and rosters are read together: a training date that clashes with a roster, or a role that is never covered by trained staff, shows up in both.

HIQA publishes its inspection reports. A report we opened from April 2026 on a nursing home recorded that a significant number of staff had not completed fire safety training or that it had expired, and that some staff had not completed moving and handling or emergency life-saving intervention training. We are not naming the service; the point is that expiry dates, not just completion, are what get recorded. The HIQA guidance we opened is for older people's centres. We did not read equivalent guidance for disability services in the same detail.

Building the matrix: our suggestions

Everything in this section is a practical approach, not a legal requirement. The regulations require training to be accessible and evidenced; they do not prescribe a format.

Rows and columns

• One row per staff member, including bank, agency and relief staff who work in your service. Add role, work location and start date.
• One column group per training topic, each with the date completed and the date due. Keep the due date as a formula or a field you can sort, so the grid highlights what is about to lapse.
• A role-applicability marker for each topic (required, not applicable, or role-dependent), so a blank cell means "not done" rather than "not needed".
• An evidence reference, such as the certificate file name or the learning system record, so anyone can find the proof quickly.

Deciding what goes in

Start from your own risk assessment, your statement of purpose, and the training your regulators, your funder and your policies expect. The HSA's guide to the sharps regulations, for example, says training should be repeated at regular intervals, on recruitment, on transfer or change of task, and when new equipment or systems are introduced. Those are useful "trigger" columns for any topic: new starter, change of role, new equipment.

Keeping it alive

• Name an owner, usually the person in charge or a training coordinator, and a deputy.
• Review it on a fixed rhythm, such as monthly, and list upcoming expiries for the next quarter.
• Record external training the same way as internal training, including attendance at sessions held off site.
• Reconcile it with the roster so that no shift relies on someone whose key training has lapsed.
• Check it before an inspection, not on the day. Our HIQA inspection readiness checklist is a good companion for that exercise.

Retention and data protection

A matrix holds personal data, so treat it that way. The Data Protection Commission's guidance on retention (the page shows no date) explains that the GDPR does not set specific retention periods; the controller decides, based on the purposes of the processing and any statutory obligations. For designated centres, the regulations above supply some of those statutory periods. For other staff records, our guide to employment records retention periods goes through the wider picture.

A practical approach is to restrict edit access to named people, share managers' views limited to their own teams, and avoid storing more detail than you need (for example, a certificate reference rather than a copy of a personal document in the matrix itself).

Gaps in what we could confirm

We did not confirm whether the regulations have been amended since the "as made" versions, and the HIQA guidance we read is for older people's centres. We did not rely on HIQA's regulation handbook (Version 4.1, May 2025) for any point above. Services outside designated centres, such as hospitals or GP practices, have different regulatory frameworks, and we have not covered them here.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

Does the law require a training matrix?

Not by that name. The regulations we read require access to training, appropriate supervision and safe, accessible records. HIQA's guidance for older people's centres says inspectors review a training plan and matrix, so in practice it is the format most services use.

How long must staff training records be kept?

It depends on the record and the regulations that apply to your service. In the instruments we read, Schedule 2 staff records are kept for not less than 7 years after the staff member leaves, and other schedule items have 4 or 7 year periods. Check the instrument for your service type.

Should agency staff be on the matrix?

We suggest yes. HIQA's older people's guidance refers to orientation topics for agency and contract staff, and a single grid shows who is actually covered on each shift.

Can we use a spreadsheet?

The regulations do not prescribe a format. A spreadsheet with clear ownership, dates and evidence references can work; what matters is that it is accurate, current and accessible.

Whatever format you choose, a matrix is only as useful as the habit of updating it, so build the review into your monthly routine.